First passport and issues around it

[SummerSix]

Hey ladies and gents, This isn't AIBU but I didn't know where to ask and there's so much traffic here so 🤷‍♀️.

Anyways, I want to take my little girl away on holiday and I need to apply for her first passport.

However... She has her dads surname and I am concerned about going away with her without the same name. I went away as a child with my mother but we had the same surname. He is on her birth certificate. He doesn't want to travel with us as doesn't travel well but we don't want our daughter to miss out on amazing opportunities because of that.

Am I likely to bump into any issues? Me and her father want to get married eventually but no rugs and if we don't then ok. Plus we are going through a rough patch.

I'm seriously considering changing my surname. It'll be a pain in the arse especially for work but she's also asking why we don't have the same name, asking if I'm her real mum coz we don't have the same surname. She's 6 and does get it, I think she just likes playing on it. I'd like to have the same surname as her tbh but that's a whole other thing. If her dad and I don't work out, having the same surname won't matter to me as my daughter is what's most important.

So to sum up, am I likely to run into problems with us having different surnames? I want to take her to Cairo.

I have a different surname to DS1 o just took his birth certificate with me. Sometimes I think they might ask for a letter confirming you have permission to travel without the other parent of you don't share s name but it's not happened to me

Mine have a different surname, never even been questioned.

No, it will be fine. Take the birth certificate and a letter from dad giving permission to leave the country.

You will be fine.
Lots of countries round the world dont have women change their name on marriage. Having a different surname to your own children is not unusual on a global scale.

Take birth certificates. And a letter from Dad if he's not traveling with you.

Enjoy the holiday!

You may get asked some questions, casually at passport control. Or she might. You just answer them. ‘Daddy didn’t want to come, he doesn’t like aeroplanes’.

My dc are a different race from me and a different nationality and so we are asked a lot but you just answer the questions.

I take a letter and a copy of the bc. I have never been asked but she is has both names.

I have been asked when traveling with a child that isn't mine, and that was coming back not leaving the country. He was looking at the passports and just said is she yours? I said no but I have a letter. He was happy enough with that. I even said do you want to see the letter I have for my dd? And he said no.

I don’t have the same name as my children and I’ve taken them abroad lots of times by myself. Never been an issue. I’ve never taken a birth certificate or a letter from their father.

I don't share same surname as my children - traveling with then has never been an issue. I've never taken bcs or letter from dp. Only ever seen it raised as an issue in mn

We are married but my kids have a different surname. I travel with the birth certificate and a letter from DH.

And I have been asked 4 times for these documents now (I am a British citizen). In Paris, in Canada and twice at Heathrow.

Interesting that people have different experiences.

Meant to add, the only time we did have an issue was when one of my DC went on holiday with a friend’s parents and we did write a letter for that, and officials at Heathrow phoned us to check it was OK.

I have a different surname to my kids and never had an issue.

@daisypond they didn't even ring the parents of the child I was traveling with. The phone numbers were on the letter but he just looked at the letter, not even the bc. I think it must just depend on who you get.

If it helps, I am not white and I am a naturalised British citizen (and my children are the same ethnicity as I am). I have posted on MN threads about this issue and other posters have suggested it might be racism. I am not convinced. I have a pretty sharp radar for immigration related racism and I didn’t think they were being racist. At Paris they were pretty much stopping everyone that one time and we almost missed our Eurostar. I am flying out with the kids alone in 3 weeks and will let you know how it goes.

I came back from a half term break with my dd a couple of days ago. I didn’t have any issues. On the way there the passport control officer did ask dd if i was her mum. That was it.

I did take a copy of her birth certificate and a letter from dh with consent to travel. Just got the template from the internet.

Well we've travelled with our 3 kids who all have different surnames. It was perfectly fine. The last time we came back border security thought DSD was my child and seemed a bit disgruntled when my DH saud no she's my daughter. The surname thing with your daughter is probably a reflection of your feelings as our kids are perfectly fine with it and know who their parents are.

Depends where you are going. South Africa has very strict rules on documentation for minors entering the country and additional rules for those not traveling with both parents. Most other countries aren’t that stringent though but to be safe travel with her birth certificate (as it shows her dads name) and a letter from him authorising her travel.

Take a letter and BC - I have a different surname to my children and my husband is American so goes through a different passport control to us. My children were questioned at passport control to establish I was, in fact their mother and I was advised to always take the BC in future!

My Mil has taken 3 of my children abroad separately and she has a different surname as my Dp and children (second marriage)
We wrote a letter saying she had permission to take them from date flying out and to date flying home we also gave both of our phone numbers
She never had a problem we were not called and she had no problems on the way home either

Take a letter of consent to travel for your daughter from her dad, include his address, contact details and his passport number - your child's passport is linked to both of your passports, the data is embedded in the chip, and the dates of travel.

I was stopped going into Portugal with my DC, but I was actually travelling with my DH (now ex), but I hadn't changed my name. I had my DC birth certificate and my marriage certificate with me as a precaution.

When I travel with my DC I carry a letter of consent from their father, and visa versa.

I'm seriously considering changing my surname. It'll be a pain in the arse especially for work but she's also asking why we don't have the same name, asking if I'm her real mum coz we don't have the same surname.

It might be easier to add your surname to hers.

This is just one of the reasons I've changed my child's surname to mine.

Never had an issue, didn't take birth certificate or anything either. Travel often.

Thank you. @Ffsnosexallowed This is why I posted tbh as I was worried about it.